Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker's poem "The Mastectomy Poems: 12. Epilogue: Nevertheless" serves as a powerful conclusion to a series that deals with the deeply personal and transformative experience of surviving breast cancer. In this epilogue, Ostriker captures the complex journey of moving forward after such a life-altering event, highlighting the return to normalcy, the passage of time, and the subtle ways in which the experience continues to shape one's life.

The poem opens with a simple, everyday action: "The bookbag on my back, I'm out the door." This image of carrying a bookbag, an object associated with routine, education, or work, suggests a return to the rhythms of daily life. The act of stepping out the door symbolizes a re-engagement with the world, a movement away from the confinement of illness and into the broader landscape of living. The mention of the changing seasons—"Winter turns to spring / The way it does"—further emphasizes the natural progression of time and the renewal that comes with it. Spring, often associated with rebirth and new beginnings, mirrors the speaker's own emergence from the darkness of winter, a metaphor for the period of illness.

As the speaker buys dresses, an act that is both mundane and symbolic, it signifies a reclaiming of femininity and normalcy. The purchase of new clothing can be seen as an affirmation of life and self-care, a way of embracing the future with optimism. The dresses become a tangible representation of the speaker's journey back to herself, to a life that continues despite the scars left by the mastectomy.

The poem then shifts to a reflection on how others perceive the speaker's recovery. When people ask, "How are you feeling," with "that anxious look on their faces," it reveals the lingering concern and the way the speaker's illness has marked her in the eyes of others. The question is loaded with the expectation of discussing health, specifically the status of her cancer. However, the speaker's response—discussing "the latest / About my love life or my kids' love lives, / Or my vacation or my writer's block"—demonstrates her desire to focus on the ordinary aspects of life, the things that make up the fabric of everyday existence. These topics are a deliberate shift away from the illness narrative, emphasizing that life goes on and is filled with the same challenges and joys as before.

The moment of realization—"it actually takes me a while / To realize what they have in mind"—highlights the speaker's shift in perspective. The fact that she has moved so far beyond the immediate aftermath of her illness that she doesn't immediately associate "How are you feeling" with cancer is a testament to her recovery, both physically and mentally. It suggests that she has reclaimed her identity beyond that of a survivor, re-integrating into a life where cancer is not the defining feature.

The speaker's response, "I'm fine, I say, I'm great, I'm clean," is a triumphant affirmation of health and well-being. The word "clean" carries particular weight, likely referring to being cancer-free, but also symbolizing a sense of purity, renewal, and a fresh start. The repetition of the bookbag imagery at the end of the poem—"The bookbag on my back, I have to run"—reinforces the theme of moving forward. The speaker is not only physically moving, but also metaphorically running toward life, responsibilities, and the future, leaving behind the shadow of illness.

"Nevertheless" captures the essence of resilience, the ability to continue living fully and meaningfully after a profound ordeal. Ostriker's epilogue reflects the tension between how the world sees someone who has survived cancer and how that person sees themselves. It is a poem about reclaiming one's life, finding joy in the mundane, and moving beyond the identity of a patient to embrace the full spectrum of what it means to be alive. Through its candid and hopeful tone, the poem offers a message of strength and the enduring capacity to thrive, even after facing the most challenging of circumstances.

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